CREAM CHEESE CHRISTMAS TREE   
  Ingredients :
    3 (8 oz) packages soft cream cheese, at room temperature
    16 oz (430 g) shredded cheddar cheese
    2 tablespoons pesto, approximately
    1 tablespoon onion, shredded
    ¼ teaspoon mustard, approximately
    Drops of Tabasco
    ½ cup chopped parsley
    ¼ pine nuts or sliced almonds, toasted
    2 -3 tablespoons red and yellow pepper, diced
    1 thick slice yellow chesse (to cut the star for the tree)

  Preparation:

Stir together cheddar and cream cheese and divide in half. Mix one half of cream with the pesto and the other half with the onion, mustard and Tabasco. Season each half to taste and cover separately with plastic wrap. Refrigerate, covered, 4 hours or until firm enough to shape. Line a cookie sheet with aluminum foil and place both preparations on the sheet. Shape each half into a cone to look like a pine tree. Refrigerate.

Two hours before serving, roll each cone in parsley pressing evenly. Press pine nuts onto to trees in string form (garlands). Press diced pepper onto tree (ornaments).
Top each tree with a star, cut from the cheese slice. Refrigerate until serving.
Serve with crackers, toasts or toasted pita bread.
 
        8 -10 servings
       
 
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